Hypodermic syringe storage unit



Oct. 24, 1967 Y J. 5. DE BERRY 3,348,894

HYPODERMIC SYRINGE STORAGE UNIT Filed March 29. 1966 INVENTOR JAMES S. deaf/7R) E; BY

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United States Patent 3,348,894 HYPODERMIC SYRINGE STORAGE UNIT James S. de Berry, La Canada, Calif., assignor to Pharmaseal Laboratories, Glendale, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Mar. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 538,300 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-209) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cabinet with a series of compartments for sterile hypodermic syringes and a separate chamber having a removable open-topped box for receiving contaminated hypodermic syringe parts, with the chamber adapted to remain closed while the sterile syringe compartments are open. The container also has a fold down front wall which when closed has a slot that registers with a control card reservoir in the container. A rigid collar or a cutter 0n the container is used for breaking the syringes in two after use so they cannot be used again.

This invention relates to a hypodermic syringe storage unit for maintaining a small inventory of sterile syringes at a particular location in a doctors ofiice or hospital.

Hypodermic syringes are potentially dangerous, particularly if they fall into the hands of narcotic addicts or children. For this reason, a nurse, doctor, or other qualified person must keep close control of dispensing these syringes. In large hospitals with several floors, it is expensive and time consuming to have nurses run to a central supply room every time a syringe is needed.

I have overcome this problem by providing a unique compact syringe storage unit for maintaining a small inventory of syringes at various locations throughout a hospital.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hypodermic syringe storage unit for internally containing sterile and nonsterile hypodermic syringes, the latter of which can be removed from the storage unit without getting access to the former.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a hypodermic syringe storage unit for storing both sterile and nonsterile syringes, with integral means for rendering a hypodermic syringe incapable of further injection.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hypodermic syringe storage unit with means for maintaining control of syringes used from said unit.

These and other objects of this invention will become more readily apaprent upon further elaboration relative to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the hypodermic syringe storage unit;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 showing one embodiment of a means integral with the storage unit for destroying a contaminated syringe;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIGURE 2, but showing a second embodiment of the hypodermic syringe destroyer; and

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a typical hypodermic springe control card.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the hypodermic syringe storage unit is comprised of a generally rectangularly shaped metal cabinet 1 formed by top wall 2, bottom wall 3, back wall 5, first openable panel 9 and left and right side walls 6 and 7. First openable panel 9 forming a front wall is hinged along a base of cabinet 1 and opens to expose a plurality of compartments 20 facing a front of the cabinet. These compartments are for storing small quantities of difierent sizes of sterile packaged syringes 25.

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When a particular syringe is needed, a physician or nurse who has authority to open the storage unit unlocks the lock 10, folding down first openable panel 9. After a particular syringe has been taken from a compartment 20, the first openable panel 9 is again locked and the key removed. This prevents unauthorized persons from taking syringes.

As the package containing syringe 25 isopened, a control card 61, such as shown in FIGURE 4, is removed and deposited through aperture 60 in first openable panel 9. This aperture 60 leads to a control card reservoir 21. The particular control card shown in FIGURE 4 indicates that a 3 cc. syringe with an attached l8-gauge needle one inch long has been taken from the cabinet. Periodically these control cards in control card reservoir 21 are removed for reordering depleted supplies of syringes.

Sometimes a syringe will not have the particular size needle that a physician or nurse needs. In this case, an extra supply of needles is provided in a slideable drawer 22. Access to drawer 22 is obtained only if first openable panel 9 is unlocked. Thus, when first openable panel 9 is closed and locked, no unauthorized person can gain access to syringes 25, to control card reservoir 21 or to drawer 22 containing hypodermic needles.

Once a disposable syringe has been used it must be rendered incapable of giving further injections. This is a safety precaution against a contaminated but usable syringe getting into the hands of a narcotic addict. The hypodermic syringe dispenser of my invention provides an integral chamber 40 within the confines of cabinet 1 with a removable container 45 therein for receiving at least a portion of the contaminated hypodermic syringe. The top wall 2 of cabinet 1 has an entrance port 42 leading to container 45.

FIGURE 2 shows a means integral with cabinet 1 for rendering a hypodermic syringe 70 incapable of further injections. The nurse or physician simply inserts a hypodermic needle 71 encased by protector 72 through an entrance port 42 which preferably has a rigid collar surrounding it. By cocking a barrel of syringe 70 to one side, adapter 96 is broken, separating needle 71 and protector 72 from the syringe barrel.

FIGURE 3 shows integral with top wall 2 another embodiment of a means for destroying a hypodermic syringe. This means is shown symbolically as cutter with a movable blade 97. Such a cutter severs and crimps hypodermic needle 71, severs protector 72, and severs adapter 96. A hypodermic syringe cutter particularly suited for this cabinet is shown in an application Ser. No. 562,319, filed July 1, 1966, entitled, Hypodermic Syringe Destroyer.

As explained above, the cabinet 1 has a first openable panel 9 that lockably closes oif access to compartments 20, control card reservoir 21 and drawer 22. Chamber 40 is closed by a second openable panel 48 held closed by a latch 50. Latch 50 need only hold second openable panel 48 closed and does not need to lock it. Thus, cleaning personnel can remove removable container 45 with contaminated destroyed syringes and take them to an incinerator. This they can do without ever unlocking first openable panel 9. The entire chamber 40 is blocked off from compartments 20, control card reservoir 21 and drawer 22 by a barrier panel 49 and also by first openable panel 9.

In the foregoing specification I have explained my invention in terms of specific embodiments. However, it is understood that those persons skilled in the art can make certain modifications to these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A hypodermic syringe storage unit comprising: an enclosed cabinet with a plurality of compartments for sterile packaged syringes with an openable front panel for closing off said compartments, said cabinet having within its confines a chamber for portions of contaminated syringes, which chamber has an entrance port through an external wall of said cabinet and has an openable section in a cabinet wall which opens independently of and faces in a different direction from said front panel for entrance to said chamber; means connected to the cabinet wall at the entrance port for rendering a hypodermic syringe incapable of giving further injections, said means being a member distinct from the apertured wall itself; and a removable container within the chamber adapted to catch portions of contaminated syringes as they pass through said entrance port.

2. A hypodermic syringe storage unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means is a rigid collar firmly attached to the wall surrounding said aperture, said collar being substantially thicker than saidwall and having a bore therethrough of a size sufficient to receive a protector encased hypodermic needle portion of a contamined syringe and to break this portion off of the syringe when the syringe is cocked relative to the collar bore.

3. A hypodermic syringe storage unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means is a cutter for severing a hypodermic needle.

4. A hypodermic syringe storage unit comprising: an enclosed cabinet with a plurality of compartments for sterile packaged hypodermic syringes and with a reservoir for control cards, said compartments and reservoir opening to a front of the cabinet, said cabinet including an openable front panel adapted to close off said compartments and reservoir, which front panel has an aperture therethrough for depositing control cards into the reservoir while the front panel is closed, which cabinet has within its confines a chamber for portions of contaminated syringes and has an entrance port through an external wall thereof with means associated with said entrance port for rendering a hypodermic syringe incapable of giving further injections, said cabinet having an openable section of the wall of the cabinet for entrance to said chamber, which section opens independently of said front panel; and a removable container within the chamber adapted to catch portions of contamined syringes as they pass through said entrance port.

5. A hypodermic syringe storage unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein the cabinet includes a slideable drawer, which drawer cannot open when said front panel is closed and is thus protectedfrom contamination from said chamber.

6.v A hypodermic syringe storage unit including a metal cabinet with a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall, a left side wall and a right side wall enclosing a plurality of compartments, a control card reservoir, and at least one slideable drawer, said cabinet having a first section comprising at least a part of the front wall which is openable for access to the compartments, reservoir and drawer with an aperture in this first section for depositing control cards into said reservoir when the first section is closed, which cabinet has enclosed by its walls a chamber for portions of contaminated syringes and has a second openable section which gives access to said chamber independently of said compartments, control card reservoir and slideable drawer, one wall of the cabinet enclosing said chamber having an entrance port to saidv chamber with means associated therewith for rendering a hypodermic syringe incapable of giving further injec-- tions; and a removable container within. said chamber adapted to catch portions of contaminated syringes as they pass throughsaid entrance port.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,547,578 7/1925 Frisorie 23243.2 2,029,804 2/1936 Williamson 232-432 2,786,337 3/1957 Spring 232-432 X 2,972,991 2/1961 Bruke 128-2l8 2,999,583 9/1961 Mancini 206l2 3,082,050 3/1963 Baxter et a1. 312209 3,185,534 5/1965 Peters 312--209 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HYPODERMIC SYRINGE STORAGE UNIT COMPRISING: AN ENCLOSED CABINET WITH A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS FOR STERILE PACKAGED SYRINGES WITH AN OPERABLE FRONT PANEL FOR CLOSING OFF SAID COMPARTMENTS, SAID CABINET HAVING WITHIN ITS CONFINES A CHAMBER FOR PORTIONS OF CONTAMINATED SYRINGES, WHICH CHAMBER HAS AN ENTRANCE PORT THROUGH AN EXTERNAL WALL OF SAID CANBINET AND HAS AN OPENABLE SECTION IN A CABINET WALL WHICH OPENS INDEPENDENTLY OF AND FACES IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION FROM SAID FRONT PANEL FOR ENTRANCE TO SAID CHAMBER; MEANS CONNECTED TO THE CABINET WALL AT THE ENTRANCE PORT FOR RENDERING A HYPODERMIC SYRINGE INCAPABLE OF GIVING FURTHER INJECTIONS, SAID MEANS BEING A MEMBER DISTINCT FROM THE APERTURED WALL ITSELF; AND A REMOVABLE CONTAINER WITHIN THE CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CATCH PORTIONS OF CONTAMINATED SYRINGES AS THEY PASS THROUGH SAID ENTRANCE PORT. 